Women's hoops escapes with 63-61 win at FDU Monday night

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women's basketball team overcame a seven-point deficit with just 2:07 left to steal a 63-61 decision from Fairleigh Dickinson Monday night in Teaneck, N.J.

Down six, 59-53, with 1:17 to play, the Bulldogs (18-7, 11-3 Northeast Conference) closed the game on a 10-2 run in the final minute of play thanks to a huge putback from junior Maureen Leahy (Springfield, Pa.) and eight-straight points from Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.) to seal the dramatic victory over the Knights (7-17, 4-9 NEC).

The win not only mark's Bryant's third in-a-row, but also sets the new Division I single-season program mark for wins in a season with 18.

FDU opened up a 10-0 run to take a 51-44 lead at the 4:49 mark, their largest of the contest. The hosts held their slim, but steady margin through the 2:07 mark on the back of their All-NEC forward Erika Livermore, who finished with a game high 26 points.

A Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) free throw and a Leahy 14-footer quickly cut the deficit to four, 57-53, with 1:43 remaining, but Kelsey Cruz wasted little time responding, boosting the Knight's edge back to six with 1:17 to play. After Leahy's huge putback at the 1:00 mark, Bryant was forced to foul, sending FDU's Amanda Andrades to the charity stripe where she knocked down 1-of-2, making the gap five, 60-55, with 59 ticks left.

On the subsequent possession, Winder buried her lone 3-pointer of the contest to make it a two-point game with 47 seconds remaining. After Tiffany Grant went 1-for-2 from the line, Winder was fouled behind the 3-point arc, earning a trip to the line where she made 2-of-3, shrinking the gap to a single point, 61-60, with 32 seconds left on the clock.

In anticipation of a Bryant foul, the Knights ball movement on the offensive end became stagnant, resulting in a jumpball and change of possession. With the ball, the Black and Gold found Winder in the corner where she was fouled in the act of shooting, earning three free throws to seal the dramatic come-from-behind victory for the Bulldogs, 63-61.

Winder scored 13 of her team-high 15 points in the final 4:06, including the final eight Bryant points of the contest. Junior forward Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) finished with her 19th double-double of the season, putting up 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, while sophomore center Morgan Olander (Mansfield, Conn.) chipped in 13 points and five boards.

Jenniqua Bailey registered 10 points, three boards and three steals and Leahy put up four points, four rebounds and three blocks, including the game-saving stuff in the final seconds, in limited action off the bench.

Livermore led all scorers with 26 points to go along with 11 rebounds, four steals and two blocks, while Cruz finished with 15 points despite 5-of-15 shooting from the field.

With the win, the Bulldogs remain in second place in the NEC standings, now tied with Central Connecticut after a loss at Saint Francis U., a game behind Robert Morris who knocked off LIU Brooklyn Monday evening. Also, with only four games remaining in the regular season, the Black and Gold can finish no worse than fourth overall in the conference standings, ensuring at least one home game in the upcoming NEC Tournament.

Looking ahead, the Black and Gold will play three of their remaining four contests within the friendly confines of the Chace Athletic Center, a location where they are 10-1 this season (6-0 vs. NEC). Next up, Bryant will host the league-leading Colonials in a huge showdown Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.) at the Chace.